Community Magazine November 2012

A Big Wheel for the Big Apple The world’s biggest Ferris wheel is in the works for Staten Island, a tactic designed to draw tourists to the oft-neglected borough. Part of a comprehensive plan that includes a new retail outlet complex and a 200-room hotel, the attraction will be built on Staten Island’s North Shore, steps from the Staten Island Ferry in St. George. The New York Wheel will cost $230 million, with a view of the Statue of Liberty, New York Harbor and the Manhattan skyline. The 625-foot ride will swing higher than the Singapore Flyer and the London Eye. Construction is expected to begin in early 2014. Tougher Penalties for Drunk Drivers New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced tougher restrictions on drunk drivers, authorizing the Department of Motor Vehicles to permanently revoke licenses from people who have been convicted of three or more drug- or alcohol-related offenses when paired with another serious driving conviction. Senator Martin Golden (Brooklyn) and Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (Brooklyn, Staten Island) sponsored similar legislation against dangerous drivers. Senate bill 4036 would create a three- strike rule for repeat drunk drivers that automatically revokes a driver’s license for 10 years upon a third DWI conviction, and suspend vehicle registration and license plates for any convicted drunk driver caught driving with a suspended license. New York is Energy Friendly The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy rated New York State third among the 50 states in energy efficiency, behind Massachusetts and California. The ranking was made based on an examination of the state’s policies and programs to encourage energy efficiency. New York has a goal of reducing statewide energy consumption by 15 percent by 2015. New York’s Senate recently passed legislation authorizing a natural gas pipeline for Brooklyn and Queens. The construction and operation of the pipeline will create local jobs, and is part of the goal of creating stable, clean energy in the city. No Bus Lane Cameras in Brooklyn Contrary to rumors, Councilman David G. Greenfield has confirmed that MTA buses in Brooklyn do not have cameras aimed at capturing illegally parked vehicles in bus lanes. An email circulated among Jewish residents in Brooklyn claimed that someone received a ticket while parked at a bus stop on Coney Island Avenue. The MTA maintained that the cameras are in use in Manhattan only, and Greenfield confirmed that although people may not park or idle at a bus stop, it is legal to pick up and drop off passengers in a bus lane. Legislation signed in 2010 allows for the use of cameras to issue tickets to drivers along Select Bus Service lanes in some areas, and they are currently in use on 1st and 2nd Avenues and 34th Street in Manhattan, with future plans in Brooklyn only at Nostrand Avenue and Rodgers Avenue. Tickets for offenses detected by bus lane cameras can range from $115 to $150. Cash Heist Astashofnewlydesigned $100 bills that have yet to enter circulation have been stolen from a plane that was traveling between Dallas and Philadelphia, en route to the Federal Reserve Building in East Rutherford, N.J. The FBI investigators report that the bills contain new elements to prevent counterfeiting, including a disappearing Liberty Bell and a blue security ribbon. The FBI will only admit that a large number of bills were taken, without giving specific details. Soda Companies Take a Pop at Bloomberg Restaurants, movie theater owners and the soda industry are suing to block NYC’s efforts to ban the sale of large-sized sugar drinks, calling the law unfair as it dictates how much New Yorkers can drink. Mayor Bloomberg’s office counters that the move is a battle in the fight against obesity, along with other public health efforts like smoking bans and calorie count listings in restaurants. The regulation, approved by the city’s Board of Health, prevents restaurants, cafeterias and concession stands from selling high- calorie drinks in sizes larger than 16 ounces. The law takes effect in March. Proponents of the law say that it will help people be more aware of how much they are drinking, and may save calories, even though people can always get a second drink. However, it requires that manufacturers produce differently sized bottles, and some businesses worry that they will lose customers to places that are not covered by the law, such as convenience stores. Life in the Big City 98 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE